1 year ago
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for a press conference at the US Capitol to announce the introduction of a resolution that condemn Islamophobia, white supremacy, and commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque Massacre and other recent attacks.
Introduced by Rep. Omar, the resolution “comes after continued violence and threats made against religious minorities, particularly Muslims. The Christchurch attack was a stated source of inspiration for mass shootings in the United States, including the attack on the synagogue in Poway, California, the attack at the Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas, and the attack at the grocery store in Buffalo, New York.”
Click Here: Read The Full Resolution
Click Here: Watch the Press Conference
During the press conference Representative Ilhan Omar stated in part:
“As we begin the holy month of Ramadan, we must reaffirm that all people of faith should have the right to worship without fear.
“According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, anti-Muslim hate crimes and attacks are at an all-time high. The attack in Christchurch, motivated by an extremist ideology of white supremacy, anti-Muslim hate, and the so-called replacement theory resonates deeply for Muslims in nearly every corner of the globe. We also know that this increase in hate is not isolated to only Muslims. Church bombings, synagogue attacks, and racial hate crimes are also on the rise. In order to confront the evils of religious bigotry and hatred, we must come to understand that all our destinies are linked. That’s why I’m proud to lead my colleagues in condemning the rise in Islamophobia and affirming the rights of religious minorities in the United States and around the world.”
CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw attending the press conference also stated in part:
“It is with a heavy heart that CAIR welcomes the introduction of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s U.S. House resolution marking the fourth anniversary of the tragic massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“This cowardly attack, carried out by a white supremacist, anti-Muslim bigot, claimed the lives of fifty-one innocent Muslim worshipers during Friday Jummah prayers four years ago.
“This congressional resolution recognizes the threat posed by rising global Islamophobia to American Muslims and Muslims in other countries across the world, as well as the threat white supremacism poses to all people.
“It is incredibly important for Congress to lead the way in rejecting these hateful and dangerous ideologies, and CAIR calls on both sides of the aisle to co-sponsor and adopt this resolution.
“As we remember the lives lost in Christchurch, we must continue to work towards a world where everyone is treated with humanity and dignity, regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or background.”
Original co-sponsors of the resolution include Earl Blumenauer, Jamaal Bowman, André Carson, Emanuel Cleaver II, Jasmine Crockett, Lloyd Doggett, Sylvia R. Garcia, Brian Higgins, Sheila Jackson Lee, Henry C. (“Hank”) Johnson, Jr., Betty McCollum, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Jan Schakowsky, Terri Sewell, Rashida Tlaib, Paul D. Tonko, Juan Vargas, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nikema Williams, and Maxwell Frost.
Original endorsing organizations include Council on American–Islamic Relations, Human Rights First, Western States, March for Our Lives, Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, MPower Change Action Fund, Minnesota Peace Project, Communities United Against Police Brutality, and People’s Justice Coalition.
